TIJ technology is widely used in computer printers. Very generally, a TIJ includes a print head typically comprising several tiny controllable ink-jets, which are selectively activated to release a jet or spray of ink from an ink reservoir onto the print media (such as paper) in order to create an image or portion of an image. TIJ printers are described, for example, in the Hewlett-Packard Journal, Volume 36, Number 5, May, 1985, and Volume 39, Number 4, August, 1988.
Plastic components used for printers must provide a variety of properties. Specifically, polymer blends used in making the plastic components must be compatible with other polymers used in making the other components that comprise the printer and must be compatible with the inks used in the printer. When the polymer blend is used in printer cartridges, the polymers are exposed to inks which have a variety of materials which may chemically attack the polymers. When the polymers are weakened by the ink, stress cracks may lead to ink leakage and smearing of the printing images.
Another problem for polymer blends used in ink cartridges, is compatibility with the other polymers used in the construction of the ink cartridge itself Usually, the polymers are formed into films and sealed together to form the ink cartridges. The polymer blend composition has excellent adhesion to the film structures as well as to the other polymeric components of the ink cartridge.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have polymer blend compositions which are resistant to chemical attack and stress cracking. Further, it is desirable to have polymer blend compositions which are compatible with the polymeric components of the ink cartridge.